I know Wikipedia isn’t the greatest resource, but I remember seeing something about a religion. I must have mixed up the Catholic part with Alma. I am an atheist and don’t agree at all with any religion. I don’t want to put myself in a bad situation or somewhere that I will feel isolated due to my beliefs. I have been an atheist since I was 11 and I have had plenty of experiences in the Catholic and Methodist churches.
I don’t know Michigan law, but I am familiar with IEP/504 in the state of Tennessee. I would think they are similar, in fact for a 504, which is Federal, it should definitely be. But since you are a rising senior, that means you are at least 16. You should be able to advocate for yourself and attend meetings on your own behalf. You need to make the request and the school should honor it. If you have documented anxiety, it would likely get you additional testing time. It doesn’t matter if your parents participate or not. The school will notify them, but can proceed without their input. Just a thought that might help you going forward.
Also, from a medical perspective, I suspect you could go see a Dr. without permission and get help, at a clinic or something. I know kids in TN have certain rights and are able to get care without parental consent for many things. It would be better for you to address your mental health prior to moving far away and starting a new life with the pressures of college and no support system.
According to my research, you have to be 18 to make all of your own IEP/504 decisions without a parent. I won’t be 18 until the end of December. Seniors get released in May.
I am never going to have a support system. Every adult in my life thinks that I am just being overly dramatic for attention and that this “anxiety” is all in my head. With that in mind, I cannot go see a doctor while I am under their roofs because it will show up on my mom’s insurance. Every little charge does ranging from my physicals to my trips to the endocrinologist. So I could walk into the doctor’s office alone, but it would get back to her.
Even my school counselors haven’t been helpful. All they want to do is call my mom which leads to me being screamed at when I get back home about how I am just some pretentious drama queen. That is why I don’t have any of my anxiety issues documented.
I once had a panic attack during a speech for Spanish 4. I ended up getting a D+ on it and I tried to explain the circumstances to the teacher, but he did not care at all. I practiced that speech at least 2 dozen times and memorized every single word. I asked my counselor if she could explain the circumstances, but all she said was “I know you’ve had these issues for a long time, but you have nothing on record so the teacher can do whatever he wants.”
I’ve got to support myself when I get out which will mean seeking out treatment myself. None of these breathing techniques, thought exercises, meditation, etc have helped. I’ve got to be my own system.
Test optional schools might be the way to go. The website FairTest.org (http://fairtest.org/university/optional) lists all the schools that don’t require standardized tests. Also, as far as your anxiety, you should find a school with a good mental health system. Some schools may have better services.
I would be wary about the “don’t worry about it” attitude your mother has given you. She may not realize the cost of college and how anyone whose parent holds down a fairly decent job gets nothing from the federal government. Some schools are more generous than others though and the guidance counselors should be able to help you with that. It would be terrible if you applied, got in, and couldn’t attend after receiving the financial aid letter.